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The State of Chen's army indeed launched a nighttime assault toward Yuegu City, but they encountered an unexpected mishap on the way——a sudden avalanche delayed their arrival by an hour compared to their planned schedule.
By the time they arrived, Gu Changqing had already led his troops back, and sensing the unfavorable situation, the State of Chen's army promptly withdrew.
The State of Chen's army had experienced two forced marches and long treks. Turning around to attack Lingguan City at this point would be like hitting a stone with an egg, a futile effort.
Gu Changqing wasn't worried about the situation in Lingguan City. He led his forces back into Yuegu City.
His first action was to go to the infirmary camp to find Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao had previously informed him that if things went smoothly, she would rendezvous with him at the Prefect's Mansion in Lingguan City. But since he hadn't encountered her, she must have implemented the second plan——bringing the patients back to Yuegu City.
Upon arriving at the infirmary camp, he spotted Physician Song wearing an isolation gown made of oil paper, along with a face mask and gloves.
Physician Song usually wouldn't wrap himself up so tightly. It seemed Gu Jiao and the plague patients had returned.
It’s good she’s back.
He let out a sigh of relief.
However, before his relief could fully sink in, Physician Song approached him with confusion, "General Gu, didn't Physician Gu return with you?"
Gu Changqing was slightly taken aback, "Wasn't she supposed to return with those patients?"
Physician Song shook his head, "She didn't come back!"
At the same time, both men realized something was amiss.
Gu Changqing's expression changed, and he called six of his dark guards. Learning that Gu Jiao had gone alone to confront some experts from the State of Chen, a sinking feeling settled in Gu Changqing’s heart.
"It can’t be." He pondered, "They were just chasing a few plague patients, so they wouldn't deploy their most formidable experts. As long as it wasn't the most powerful experts, JiaoJiao wouldn't fail to return. Unless——"
Suddenly, Gu Changqing thought of the death warrior by the Imperial Son-in-law's side, the one capable of defeating three Dragon Shadow Guards.
A shiver ran down his spine!
"General, everything is ready. Are we launching an attack on the north the day after tomorrow——"
The left deputy commander responsible for guarding Yuegu City approached holding several bamboo scrolls for marching orders.
He began speaking to Gu Changqing but halfway through his speech, Gu Changqing, who seemed not to hear him, swiftly strode towards the stable all of a sudden, brought out his own mount, and got on the horse without a word.
The left deputy commander hurried after him but ended up getting splattered with snow.
He wiped it off hastily and shouted loudly after Gu Changqing, who was already racing away, "General! Where are you going so late? General! General——"
……
The cold wind howled as heavy snowflakes danced in the air.
Gu Jiao was turning into a little ice sculpture in the ice-cold, snowy expanse.
She lay there frozen with Tian Lang's body, gradually losing her body heat and breath.
Usually, people recalled many things before dying, but Gu Jiao couldn't think of anything. Her mind was frozen.
After an unknown duration, her last shred of consciousness froze in the snowy ground.
She closed her eyes.
Gu Changqing's horse galloped swiftly in the night. It was his most beloved steed, once a young colt when it arrived at the estate. They had spent numerous years together, forming an unspeakable bond and tacit understanding.
The horse sensed its master's anxiety, its hooves almost running ragged in the snow.
Gu Changqing went to the forest where the camp was stationed previously and found the bodies of the experts from the previous dynasty buried under the heavy snowfall.
He dug through the ice and snow with his bare hands, turning over each corpse.
Not JiaoJiao.
Not JiaoJiao.
Still not JiaoJiao.
Each person bore the mark of being struck down by a red-tasseled spear, indicating Gu Jiao's effortless handling of them during the confrontation.
If that death warrior had been present, Gu Jiao wouldn't have been able to defeat them so easily.
After overturning the last body, Gu Changqing knelt in the snow, his fingers stiff and his breath ragged.
If Gu Yan were here... if Gu Yan were here... he would surely have sensed where JiaoJiao had gone...
Gu Changqing ultimately wasn't Gu Yan. He was simply unable to sense Gu Jiao's movements. He just had an inexplicable intuition that Gu Jiao had left the forest with some kind of mission in mind.
She might have foreseen that she wouldn't be able to return so soon or perhaps that she might not be able to return at all. Therefore, her planned retreat was to have the patients rush to Yuegu City and be managed by Physician Song.
She... She voluntarily went to find that death warrior.
Why did she go to find him?
Why?
……
The wind and snow were too heavy, even the horses were unwilling to move forward.
The soldiers had to dismount and lead their horses to keep up with the procession. However, after taking a couple of steps, one soldier felt something underfoot and stumbled forward.
He fell onto a hard little snowdrift. It felt a bit firm, but he didn't pay much attention and casually pressed down on the other side of the snowdrift to get up.
But as he pressed down...
He froze.
What was this odd sensation in his hand?
A chill ran down his spine as he cautiously looked towards his hand, only to see a round, smooth head.
With a cry, he tumbled and fell backward onto the snow. As he sat up, he happened to meet a pair of lifeless eyes staring back at him.
He was so terrified that he felt like his soul escaped his body, even forgetting about his horse as he scrambled forward, yelling, "Ghost! Ghost!"
"What are you making a fuss for?" A sergeant grabbed him, "Trying to attract pursuit, huh?"
Too frightened to look back, the soldier tremblingly pointed behind him, "N-no... no... Old Brother Zhang… there's a gho…. ghost over there!"
Safety along the way was crucial. If there were indeed ghosts, it might not be actual spirits but people lurking in the shadows!
The sergeant, who was called Old Brother Zhang, braved the wind and snow and walked towards the raised snowdrift.
As he approached, he realized it was a frozen corpse.
All that unnecessary worry! He thought it might be an ambush by assassins!
The sergeant intended to turn and catch up with the procession, but he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the face. He seemed to have seen it somewhere. contemporary romance
He bent down again, carefully examining the person's face.
Finally, he remembered where he had seen him.
"My Lord! My Lord!"
The silverfox-clad man sat in a carriage drawn by eight horses. Suddenly, a soldier's anxious voice came from outside.
He glanced at his unconscious uncle beside him, pulled his slender hand out from the warming cloth and opened the curtain, asking, "What's the matter?"
The soldier reported, "It seems like someone... has seen Tian Lang!"
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